You know it’s a bad day when your midfield is outplayed by a quintet that’s masterminded by Gareth Barry. You know it’s a really bad day when the leaden-footed one smashes one past your goalkeeper from 25 yards.

That he did both speaks volumes about City’s latest away-day offering against top-half opposition.

The person who reads my columns regularly (thanks Mum) will know my thoughts on the aforementioned Mr Barry, and how I have this recurring nightmare in which Mesut Ozil skips past him in a World Cup game in Bloemfontein as if he were plodding in quicksand.

Alas, today the shoe (or orange boot) was on the other foot… big time.

For as much as I’ve ridiculed him in the past, the former England international was instrumental this afternoon in Everton bossing City, They did so from the word go and on this occasion he was the sure-footed one; those clad in yellow taking on the roles of hapless (and sometimes hopeless) stooges.

Chris Hughton’s decision to start with two up front was certainly bold but ultimately contributed to City’s demise; the four versus five match-up in midfield won emphatically by those in blue from minute one.

Similarly, the City boss’s decision to sacrifice natural width, in the form of Nathan Redmond or Josh Murphy, at the expense of the more defensive Javier Garrido backfired. The theory worked – the Spaniard was there to provide protection down City’s left against the marauding runs of Toffees’ right-back Seamus Coleman – but the practice fell horribly short.

Even the best game plans need implementing. When the players fail to deliver it, either the message isn’t getting across, the players aren’t listening or those asked to do so are just not good enough.

Alas, even a Jose Mourinho inspired master-plan would struggle to succeed if you allow anyone the time and space afforded to Barry as he spanked in the Everton opener past the flailing arms of John Ruddy. As the gallows humour of one Canary tweeter put it: ‘If Ryan Bennett had backed off any more he’d have ended up in Anglia Square.’

Unfortunately for Hughton and co lessons were not learned and Everton’s second goal was not dissimilar in its inception. On this occasion it was Leighton Baines who was given the freedom to bomb forward and although Bennett did finally manage to get a foot in it was late and too close to the City box.

From the resultant free-kick Kevin Mirallas had Ruddy flailing again, this time the ball being pinged into the top right hand corner.

For all their dominance the Toffees were unable to extend their lead and City, through Gary Hooper, Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Robert Snodgrass, did go close – but lack of quality in the final third was again their undoing.

While the chances created should construed as ‘positives’, the passing and cohesion again – for the most part – were not befitting of the Premier League.

With West Ham winning, the managerial spotlight will this week be shifting towards Norfolk.